November 25, 2008

How is everyone doing?  Disneyland must have been a blast.  Sometimes I feel like I'm at Disneyland with all the scenery and the wild bus drivers. I now know the meaning of a full bus.  It's nuts how many people cram into a bus.  This week was awesome!  We had 3 baptisms.  Sis Lily, Sis Beena and Bro Aadben, who I baptized.  They are a wonderful family and we have 2 more baptisms this week.  Bro Raja and Sis Nancy, who are both awesome.  We bike about 3 miles a day and walk about 10, so I'm always really tired.  There are so many people here and so easy to find people to talk to.  We get about 1-3 new investigators a day so lots of people and they are all so very nice way more nice than in the US.  My proselyting area is about the size of Provo so a lot of work to do.  My companion Elder Banavath is 26 years old and knows 4 languages and has already graduated from a university.  He is very smart and cooks all kinds of Indian food.  I have many pictures I want to send.  We have a really nice apartment and probably the nicest one in all of India.  It's nice.  We don't have toilet paper here.  You have a hose to spray with which is different but nice.  It is very hot here and very humid and I really sweat a lot.  I have gained about 4kgs since I have been in Coimbatore, which is about 9-10 pounds.  You should see the place I am emailing from, it is a little shack.  It is funny.  Everything is really different here.  It is hard to explain.  It rains a lot and I get soaked all the time but at least it is cool when it does rain.  We have zone conference on Monday and we are taking a train up to Chennai and we are supposed to be going to a really good vacation spot.  We eat a lot of weird things but mostly just a ton of rice and curry.  I have not seen any monkeys or elephants yet, but a lot of oxen,  dogs, and cockroaches. The fruit is really good here but i just missed mango season so that is sad.  My shirts are going to be brown by the end of my mission.  The people here all speak Tamil and its like going to Mexico and teaching in English.  It is really hard to find those kind of people. There are so many people and they always stop to listen.  We eat with our hands, just about every meal, which I am used to now.  I think I talk a little different now.  Also, they bobble their heads when they talk, so I'm starting to do that now.  It is funny.  Everything is going good and my testimony has grown so much since I have been out here.  More, and more, I know that the church is true and how it blesses individuals and their families.  I love you all so very much and thank you so much  for all your love and support.  Love you all so very much. Love, Elder Jeppesen